


Puppylove

by Archadian_Skies



Category: Kuroshitsuji : The Most Beautiful DEATH in the World - Iwasaki/Mori/Mari, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, M/M, Meet-Cute, cute things happen, grell takes yoga class, ronald is actually a puppy, will works in the same building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 04:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11547399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Archadian_Skies/pseuds/Archadian_Skies
Summary: (Collated tumblr prompts)Saturdays are when Grell Sutcliff attends yoga class, and that means Ronald has to wait for her patiently with the kind ladies at reception.





	1. Yogo or something

He didn’t understand Grelly at all. She liked to share a room with other people on foam mats but they didn’t sleep on the mats, they contorted themselves into odd shapes instead and called it ‘yogo’ or something.

Ronald was more of a running around kind of lad, and there was nothing he enjoyed more than an early morning run to get the blood pumping. Grell enjoyed that too, and they’d go for another run in the evening when she came home from work.

But Saturdays were for ‘yogo’ and Ronald would patiently wait for her outside the gym and people watch. He took another sip of water and looked around, seeing if he could spot familiar faces.

There was Eric, the security guard who also liked running like Ron but he usually did it on the treadmills in the gym rather than around the park like him and Grelly. Sometimes he’d wrap his hands in bandages and punch a big bag. He always had a big smile and a kind word for Ron, so Ron liked him a lot.

Alan also liked Eric a lot. He dropped by on Saturdays and took yogo with Grelly. He would go for lunch with Eric after that but he’d always stop and say hello to Ron after he and Grelly came out of class.

Ronald yawned, glancing up at the clock in reception. They’d be finished soon enough.

“Don’t you worry Ronnie, Miss Grelly will be out soon.” Lizzie smiled and mussed his hair. She came every Saturday dressed in white with a heavy mesh helmet that hid her pretty face and would swing a thin sword around.

“Oh, good day Mr Spears.” Lizzie greeted as William rounded the corner.

William didn’t do yogo or run on the spot or punch bags, instead he wore a black suit and worked in the office upstairs. Grelly always made funny eyes at him and he would push his brows and mouth down and sigh and walk away. Sometimes he said hello to him, but most of the time he was too busy for anyone.

Late one night when Grelly was running with him in the park, he saw William running on the spot in the gym but William didn’t say hello.

“Good day Ms Elizabeth. And you, Ronald.” He hurried upstairs before either of them could respond, and Ronald huffed. It would be nice if Mr William made time for them, especially Grelly because she made eyes at him all the time.

“Look Ronnie, Ms Grelly is out of her class!” Lizzie pointed as the door opened and people began to file out. Ronald brightened once he caught sight of the familiar tall redhead.

“Ronnie!” Grelly laughed, rushing over and scooping up the golden retriever pup into her arms. “Were you a good boy for Lizzie? Were you? Who’s a good puppy, hm? Who’s a good puppy?”


	2. A pup on a mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At some point Ronald would need to help Grelly hook up with Mr Spears. The pup is on a mission.

There was a whole world upstairs he hadn’t explored, and for a curious lad like Ronald that had to be rectified.

Grelly’s class started promptly at 10am, so she would leave him with the lovely lasses at Reception where he could come and go as he pleased between their office and the courtyard.

They would cuddle him and pet him and press pink kisses to his face and he would always give them kisses in return (it was only polite). He knew all the staff but he didn’t know anyone from the mysterious land upstairs where they wore black suits and black shoes.

He felt it his duty to find out, since Grelly seemed so taken with Mr Spears. The man always had one of those sticks that made marks (a pin? a pen?) and the lasses at Reception had a few of those littered on the desks. One day one of them dropped and rolled under the table, and Ronald was quick to fetch it. He was rewarded with a cuddle and a kiss, so he figured if he snuck one to Mr Spears and pretended it was Grell’s maybe Mr Spears would return it to Grell and get a cuddle and a kiss for being a good boy.

It was a magnificent plan.

“You be a good boy for the ladies, alright Ronnie?” Grell instructed as she set him on Maylene’s lap. “Behave, and then we can go for some lunch at the cafe.” She pressed a red kiss to his brow before waving him off and disappearing to her class. 

Wriggling to be set down, Ronald barked until Maylene gently lifted him off her lap and put him on his feet. He nosed her hand in gratitude (he had manners, after all) before trotting away.

Unbeknownst to them all, he’d fished a pen from Grelly’s bag the week before and had buried it in a corner of the courtyard. It had rained overnight, so the earth was nice and soft and easily gave way as he retrieved the red pen.

The stairs were going to be a challenge, and Ronald whined as he gauged how tall they looked. The mysterious world was but a small rectangle of light at the top of the staircase. But he would persevere because Grelly was counting on him!

One step at a time was the best way to tackle it, Ronald discovered as he clumsily pawed his way upstairs. He’d nose the pen across the step before jumping up and wiggling until he made it over. 

The world upstairs was carpeted and quiet and long with many doors. Ronald secured the pen in his mouth before looking around, trying to determine which one hid Mr Spears. Luckily Mr Spears had a smell like something sharp and like trees and paper and pens, so Ronald didn’t have to search for long to find his door.

He pawed it and scratched it, making as much noise as possible (because humans didn’t understand his talking, which was silly because he understood them just fine) until the door finally opened.

“Ronald?” William blinked down at the puppy. “What are you doing here? You’ve tracked mud all along the hallway.” He sighed, surveying the dirty paw prints tracking from the stairs to his door. “And what is that? A pen?”

Crouching, William pried the pen from Ronald’s mouth and inspected it briefly. The plastic had bite marks from the pup and dirt from when, William guessed, it had been buried.

“You really should not be up here, Ronald. Ms Sutcliff will be very upset.” He tossed the dirty pen into the waste basket before picking up the muddy puppy by the middle. Ronald barked, unhappy he’d thrown the pen away after all the effort he’d gone to bring it to him.

“Hush.” William scolded, marching down the stairs. Ronald barked again, squirming in protest. “Stop that.”

“Mr Spears.” Maylene gasped, rushing from around her desk. “Ronald, you’re a mess! Oh and look at all those paw prints. Oh Mr Spears, I’m terribly sorry.”

“It’s alright.” He sighed. “Please watch him closely, and let Ms Sutcliff know he’s been digging around.”

Ronald sulked as Maylene closed the courtyard door. He needed a better plan.

* * *

 

William clicked his seatbelt in place, adjusting the rear-view mirror before starting the car. He had a meeting across town and hoped it would be short so he would have time to return to the office and finish up. He loathed overtime.

He looked over his shoulder as he backed out of the carpark. There was the scent of grass everywhere and he had to think back to make sure he had taken his hayfever medication. Wrinkling his nose, he remembered he had that very morning, and turned his focus on driving to the company’s quarters downtown.

* * *

 

Ronald hadn’t planned on traveling with Mr Spears but there he was, nestled with a leather briefcase and a little bit frightened and terribly disoriented. 

Closing his eyes, he settled into a curl tiredly and decided a nap would solve all of that. Probably. Maybe.

Hopefully?

* * *

 

“What do you mean he’s not here?!” Grell’s voice rose several octaves in panic as Maylene explained the situation. “He’s just a baby! What if someone’s taken him?!”

“I-I-I’ll call Mr Slingby and he can check the cameras.” Maylene stammered, avoiding Grell’s distressed gaze. 

Grell clutched her hair, looking this way and that. Where could her pup have gone?

* * *

 

“…Ronald?” William paused, briefcase in hand. There was a muddy golden retriever curled up in the foot space of the passenger seat looking a little worse for wear. “…Why-?”

Checking his watch, William noted time slipping away. 

“I cannot risk being late for this meeting.” Sighing, he scooped up the puppy unceremoniously and tucked him under one arm. “I will have to leave you with reception.”

Ronald whimpered, tucking himself close to Mr Spears because everywhere was strange and full of new smells and none of them were familiar except for him.

“Your behaviour is unacceptable.” William scolded. “I told you to stay with Ms Maylene.”

Not liking his tone one bit, Ronald began to cry and William sighed exasperatedly. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

 

‘ _You have reached William T. Spears. I am currently unavailable. Please leave your name and number, and I shall endeavour to return your call in a timely manner. Thank you._ ’

Grell groaned, hanging up again. She’d already left three messages to no avail. Eric had spotted the pup running out into the carpark after William on the security feed, but there was no footage after that.

Her chest was tight with anxiety and her makeup was a mess from crying. Her precious pup was missing, and with his adorable eyes and gentle nature someone surely had taken him.

Burying her face in her hands, Grell burst into another round of tears.

“There there Red, I’m sure he’s fine.” Eric soothed, sitting beside her and rubbing her back comfortingly. She only let out another distressed wail.

* * *

 

“Ms Sutcliff, I do believe this is yours.” William held out the squirmy puppy to the woman with smudged mascara. 

“Ronnie!” Grell cried, hefting the pup into her arms and peppering him with kisses. “Oh you naughty boy! Why did you follow Will, hm? And why are you so muddy?”

“He was digging in the courtyard.” William explained.

“For what?”

“A pen.”

“…Was it a red pen?”

“Yes." 

Grell gave the pup a long hard look, frowning. Ronald’s tail stirred, as if the pup was unsure as to her mood and whether or not he’d be allowed to be happy. He licked her cheek and bumped their noses together. 

"Thank you for bringing him back to me.” Grell smiled tiredly. “I’ve been worried sick all afternoon.”

“I would have returned sooner had I not needed to attend other business matters.” William apologised. 

“How about lunch tomorrow?” She offered. “To say thank you for rescuing my silly pup.”

“I-” William blinked in surprise. “I would like that very much.”

Ronald beamed proudly. Mission accomplished.


	3. Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronald delivers a present

“Ronald, you know you are not supposed to be here,” William scolded the cheery golden retriever pup sitting obediently in his doorway, “these offices upstairs are out of bounds; we have been through this.”  


The puppy barked in protest, picking up something in its mouth before bounding over and depositing it at his feet.

“What is that?” William murmured, bending to pick up whatever the slightly damp object was- fabric of some lacy sort, and red, as red as his face the moment he realized what it was. “Ronald you will return these to Ms Sutcliff  _immediately_.”


	4. Date night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grelly reassures William she's called a babysitter for the night.

“Mr Spears wants to see you, Ms Grelly.” Maylene informed her as she picked up her puppy from Reception.

“Me? Is it my birthday today?” She feigned shock and horror as Maylene laughed. “Come on pup, let’s see what Will wants from us.”  


Ronald barked, happily trotting beside her to the staircase that would lead to the offices upstairs. Grell scooped him up and sat him in her gym bag, taking pity on his tiny legs.

“Will?” She knocked on his door politely, poking her head in a moment later. “You wanted to see me?”

“Ah, Ms Sutcliff, yes, uhm-” he stammered, looking a little flustered. “I err- well, Ronald- there is something-”

Grell blinked in surprise, gently setting the bag down so Ronald could tumble out safely as she took a seat in front of William’s desk.

“This is yours.” William said slowly, sliding a document envelope to her. “Ronald must have fished it out of your bag whilst you were in your yoga class.”

“Oh?” Grell opened the yellow envelope and peeked inside. “ _Oh_.” That naughty pup! “Ronnie! Why would you take my knickers, hm? You cheeky devil!” She scolded him with no malice behind her words, and he simply wagged his tail and smiled up at her cluelessly.

“Really now, pup, you ruined my surprise!” Grell sighed, gathering the blond puff of fur in her arms. “I was supposed to surprise William with that.”

She hid a smirk as William sputtered indignantly. “I guess I’ll have to buy something new.”

“Ms Sutcliff, that is absolutely prepos-”

“Bye bye William.” Grell crooned, blowing him a kiss and a wink before taking her leave.

* * *

  


He thought she had been joking, a simple jest to catch him off guard and make him flustered. As the week went by he hardly paid her words a second thought until it was Friday and he had just finished work, readying himself to close up and turn in for the weekend.

The sound of her heels alerted him before her actual presence appeared in his doorway. She smiled that charming, seductive smile of hers, eyes alight with mischief as she tugged his tie playfully.

The loosely belted coat fell open at her shoulders and he caught sight of something silky, something lacy, something irresistibly red.

“Don’t worry, I’ve called a babysitter.” Grell giggled, tugging him closer and still yet to release her hold on his tie. “So I’m all yours tonight.”

“This is hardly-”

“I concur. Hardly the most romantic setting for an evening tryst.” She pulled him out of his office as though he were a dog and his tie a leash. “What are you waiting for, Mr Spears?”

Her hand slid down his trouser pocket, plucking his car keys and leaving him feeling weak at the knees like a shameful adolescent boy.

“Show me your bedroom and I’ll show you what’s under this coat.”


End file.
